Al Ahly triumphed over European champions FC Barcelona in the IHF Super Globe bronze medal match, securing a 32-29 victory and achieving third place.
Barcelona had previously defeated Al Ahly 31-23 in the group stage, but the Egyptian side turned the tables in this rematch, clinching both the win and the bronze medal.
Al Ahly qualified for the third-placed playoff after losing to Magdeburg, while Barcelona suffered a defeat to Hungarian giants Telekom Veszprém after extra time.
Despite being the hosts, the Reds entered the game as underdogs, especially following the club’s poor record against Barcelona in recent years.
However, surprisingly, the Egyptian champions started strong, racing to a 12-6 lead by the 18th minute, but, Barcelona began to catch up, and the first half ended with Al Ahly holding a slimmer 18-15 advantage.
Learning from their semifinal defeat to Magdeburg, the Red Devils maintained their composure in the second half, not allowing Barcelona to draw level or gain momentum.
Al Ahly controlled much of the game and finished with a well-earned 32-29 victory following an impressive showing from their keeper Abdelraham Taha, who was awarded the MOTM award.
This is the second time Al Ahly has finished in the top three in the IHF Super Globe, with their previous best being a runner-up finish in 2007.